Welcome to Comicosity’s Hot Five. Hot Five is a short list of the top books we think you’ll want to be checking out. Be they new title launches, key issues or just continuing stories from some of the industry’s most acclaimed books, this list is your guaranteed gold for the week in the comic market!
I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful Christmas, and if you celebrate I can only hope that Santa brought you lots of comic book related goodies. This is another special holiday edition of the Hot Five, and while the week in comics isn’t nearly as small as last week’s offerings, it is still on the light side due to the New Years holiday. Also, a friendly reminder that due to the holiday, comics will be released on TUESDAY December 31st! Enjoy your final New Comic Book Day of 2013 to the fullest by picking up the following titles!
AQUAMAN #26
Written by Jeff Parker
Art by Paul Pelletier and Sean Parsons
Published by DC Comics – $2.99
“Sea of Storms” begins with the debut of new AQUAMAN writer Jeff Parker! The Earth’s crust is grinding to life, releasing deadly volcanoes and bizarre creatures…so humanity’s first instinct is to blame Atlantis! And as the plates pull apart, the pressures of ruling a kingdom under siege are weighing on Aquaman and Mera as well!
Why It’s Hot: After 25+ issues Geoff Johns has stepped away from Aquaman, but not before elevating “The King of the Seven Seas” from the butt of jokes to bonafide A-list character. Picking up the reins and joining artist Paul Pelletier is writer-extraordinaire Jeff Parker, who has proven over the past several years, in books such as Batman ’66, Agents of Atlas, Thunderbolts, Hulk, and King’s Watch, to be one of the best purveyors of pure old fashioned superhero fun. Not only does this issue signal the beginning of a new era in the adventures of Arthur Curry, but it serves an ideal jumping on point for those interested now that Aquaman is no longer a laughing stock, but rather a respected member of the superhero community.
DEAD BOY DETECTIVES #1
Written by Toby Litt and Mark Buckingham
Art by Mark Buckingham and Gary Erksine
Published by DC Comics – $2.99
From the pages of THE SANDMAN, Neil Gaiman’s dead boys get their own monthly series! As fans of storybook detectives, Edwin Paine (died 1916) and Charles Rowland (died 1990) will take on any and all mysteries—including their own untimely deaths! The dead boys head back to St. Hilarions, where bullying headmasters continue to rule the school. But when they investigate the lingering mysteries of their own deaths, they meet a young girl named Crystal whose tech skills and strange link to the undead earn her a place as a new detective. DEAD BOY DETECTIVES is a fast-paced adventure series that takes us from the bustling streets of contemporary London to Japanese-inspired video games and dangerous worlds perched somewhere between the now and nevermore.
Why It’s Hot: Accalimed English novelist Toby Litt joins Fables co-creator Mark Buckingham and artist Gary Erksine to form an all British powerhouse creative team to take on characters created by Neil Gaiman in the legendary Sandman. Dead Boy Detectives is a new Vertigo ongoing series featuring Edwin and Charles, supernatural sleuths that just happen to be ghosts. A new Vertigo book is almost always worth checking out, but when you throw in the credentials mentioned above, you have a MUST READ book!
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #10
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Kevin Maguire
Published by Marvel Comics – $3.99
• Angela and Gamora go hunting.
• Special guest artist Kevin Maguire (Justice League, Batman Confidential, X-Men)
Why It’s Hot: What seemingly started off as an open invitation from Bendis on Twitter ended up snowballing into something much more, and now iconic artist Kevin Maguire is back at Marvel for the first time since 2009’s Spider-Man: The Short Halloween. This time around he is working with Marvel’s long time go to writer on the company’s breakout superhero team. Don’t miss this special one off issue that seems to be a match made in heaven, as Kevin Maguire gets to have fun in an outer space setting while drawing characters like Rocket Raccoon and Groot.
RACHEL RISING #22
Written by Terry Moore
Art by Terry Moore
Published by Abstract Studio – $3.99
The truth behind Manson’s infamous witch burnings of 1693 comes out when Rachel finds the final piece of the puzzle six feet under. Will it help her save the town from Lilith’s revenge? Find out in the newest installment of Terry Moore’s acclaimed horror series!
Why It’s Hot: Legendary writer/artist Terry Moore has consistently put out one of the most unique, creepy, and beautiful comic books on the racks with Rachel Rising. A few weeks ago the man who has written, drawn and lettered every page of the book’s 22 issues has announced that the book needs more people to be reading it or he may have to bring it to an end. If you won’t take my word on how great Rachel Rising is, just search for the book on Twitter and see the outpouring of love from not only some of my colleagues here on Comicosity, but also from luminaries around the comic book world. Once that’s done, go to your LCS to buy issue 22, and once you realize you can’t get enough you’ll want to catch up like all the cool kids.
TWILIGHT ZONE #1
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Guiu Vilanova
Published by Dynamite Entertainment – $3.99
Trevor Richmond is a Wall Street investor who embezzled millions and is about to tank the economy. Again. Desperate to avoid the consequences for his actions, he goes to Expedited Services, Inc., which offers to help him disappear and enjoy a life of leisure in a new life. But what exactly is this new life, how much is freedom worth, and what happens to the old life when someone else shows up to claim it? This is the first installment of three interlocking stories that will push the boundaries of The Twilight Zone into new and uncharted territory, a journey that will travel into the past and the future, into murder and revenge and the sunrise of nuclear Armageddon. From J. Michael Straczynski, Hugo-winning creator of Babylon 5, writer for Thor and Changeling and World War Z as well as the 1988 Twilight Zone.
Why It’s Hot: Twilight Zone is one of the greatest Sci-Fi television shows in history, and this week Dynamite is bringing the show’s signature style to the comic book page! To make sure the comic feels authentic, J. Michael Straczynski has been tapped to write the comic revival. Before he was known the among comic fans as the writer of Amazing Spider-Man JMS worked in television. While most people remember his Babylon 5 it is far less known that he was brought in for the third season of the 1980s Twilight Zone revival where he ended up as the story editor. So we have new Twilight Zone stories by a man who knows the property, in a medium that will serve the signature style well.
